Despite a rocky first round, the YellowJackets finished strong to secure a tidy third-place finish at the Hershey Cup last weekend.
Conditions were difficult at Hershey Country Club, with high winds playing a big part in the opening day. “We shot ourselves in the foot in terms of winning,” senior George VanderZwaag said, referring to Sunday’s round of 329.
However, a determined UR dove into day two and fired off an 18-shot drop to seal an impressive round of 311, tying them for best round of the day with two other schools.
Junior Jona Scott led the team effort, finishing three over par with the lowest score in the field, and tying for first in total birdies, with six.
VanderZwaag was key in the ‘Jackets’ day two turn-around. He carded a team best of 74, climbing 32 places for T47, making him the biggest mover. His 166 total was matched by teammate sophomore Corey Mitchener, who competed as an individual.
Another notable second-round spark came from sophomore Scott Chudacoff. The individual ranked T28 after dropping eight shots off his first round score.
UR’s best performance of the tournament goes to senior Dominick Schumacher. Competing as an individual, Schumacher finished two rounds of the par-71 course with 155 total, leaving him tied for fourth among 87 golfers.
Moving further along the roster, sophomore Jason Paek finished with a day two score of 163 for T33, in aid of the team effort. Junior Garrett Sweeney competed individually, ending up with a 163 after a final round of 87. Sophomore Luis Arteaga wrapped up with a 164, placing him at T37. Finally, junior Daniel Luftspring shot a 168, with a final round of 79, to finish T56.
Carnegie Mellon University walked away as the winner, with a comfortable 11-stroke advantage over second-place Allegheny College. Carnegie’s Bradley Jennette took home the medal honors after leading his team with a total of 145, placing him first overall.
“While we didn’t win, this is certainly a tournament that we can use as a stepping stone towards reaching our goals the rest of the spring season,” VanderZwaag concluded.
The YellowJackets will be back at the tee box when they host the Fred Kravetz invitational on April 15-16 at Irondequoit Country Club and Oak Hill Country Club.
